In an unexpected turn of events ahead of IPL 2024, speculations about Hardik Pandya’s return to Mumbai Indians (MI) were dismissed when the Gujarat Titans (GT) decided to retain him, despite his recent captaincy with the franchise for the past two seasons. However, shortly after the release and retention window closed, surprising news emerged that Pandya had been traded back to his former team, MI, where he initiated his IPL career in 2015.
While the deadline for releasing and retaining players has passed, the window for trading between franchises remains open until December 12, just a week before the IPL 2024 auction scheduled for December 19. The deal involving Pandya’s move from the Titans to MI has been formally approved by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the IPL. Remarkably, this is set to be an all-cash deal, indicating that MI has not released any players to the Titans in exchange.
The financial aspects of the trade, including the exact value and potential transfer fees, remain undisclosed at this point. Pandya’s league fee for the upcoming season is a substantial ₹15 crore. Earlier rumors suggested that MI might release a few players to accommodate Pandya in their roster, emphasizing the strategic moves teams make in the lead-up to the IPL auctions.
Notably, this trade marks Pandya as the third IPL captain in the league’s history to be part of such a transaction. According to reports from ESPNcricinfo, the proposed trade involves a staggering INR 15 crore, roughly equivalent to $1.8 million.
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